October 16, 2019 Minutes

Faculty Senate Minutes

October 16^th, 2019

ABB 138

3:10- 4:30 pm

I. Call to Order

II.  Approval of the October 2nd meeting minutes: Tomas Gedeon moved for approval.  Ed Schmidt seconded.  Approved.

III.  Informational Items

a.       VPR-EDGE Jason Carter

IV.   New Business

a.       New Courses (None)

b.       Program Updates (None)

c.       Center Review Guidelines – Committee Update and Proposal

1. Background

§  Senate Motion Spring 2018 – Committee to develop and propose guidelines

§  Charge: Consider and recommend the guidelines to be used by MSU’s Faculty Senate when reviewing center proposals or periodically examining the status of existing centers.  The committee should identify and propose a set of factors that faculty should give consideration to.

Committee Members

1.       Chris Anderson – Arts and Architecture

2.       Susan Dana - Business

3.       Julia Haggerty – Earth Sciences

4.       Leila Sturman - Library

5.       Carl Yeoman – Animal and Range Science

6.       Michael Brody - Education

Committee Recommendations

System and Policy Recommendations

o   MSU should establish a university Operating Policy concerning the establishment and review of institutes and centers and other like entities. No further campus reviews should occur until this policy is adopted.

o   Faculty Senate should adopt as formal procedure a set of guidelines for approval of proposals to establish center (and related entities) and periodic review of their activities

University Discussions and Possible Interim Guidelines Adoption

Discussion and Adoption Process

·         Formally - First and Second Reading, Discussion, Motion, Simple Majority Vote

·         Informally – Can you live with the guidelines?

o   Are there “deal-breakers” that are missing or that must be removed?

·         Interim Status – pending an umbrella policy and process, and in order to assess and revise

Faculty Senate

Guidelines for Approval of Center [“Entity”] Proposals and Periodic Review of Activities: In this document, “entity” means a center, institute, bureau, station or similar entity requiring approval by the Board of Regents pursuant to Policy 218.

Designation

§  The entity should be appropriately designated (i.e. as a center, institute, etc.) to meet the definitions and functions described in the MSU Policy on Forming and Reviewing entities and Institutes [which does not yet exist]

Contribution to the Mission of the University

§  The entity should have the potential to make significant contributions to the teaching, research/creative activity, and/or engagement missions of the University

§  The entity should have the potential to enhance the reputation of the University by state-wide, regional, national, or international leadership in teaching, research/creative activity, and/or engagement

§  The entity demonstrates a commitment to a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion

§  The entity has a systematic plan for regular assessment of its contributions to the mission of the University

Governance

·         The entity has policies that ensure research, academic, and curricular independence, including an explicit commitment to compliance with all MSU policies

·         The entity has systematic and credible mechanisms for regular independent review of its activities, that include an external advisory council and/or an external review board 

·         If the entity hires faculty and/or staff, the entity has hiring processes that ensure independence from the entity’s external funding source(s)

·         The entity will issue a public annual report of funding sources, expenditures, and measurable outcomes

Financial Sustainability

·         The entity should have a plan for, and the potential to be self-supporting through external funding and other revenue sources after a reasonable initial period (approximately 3-5 years)

·         In order to ensure academic independence and financial sustainability, the entity should have a plan for diversifying its funding beyond a single source within a reasonable period of time (approximately 5 years)

·         The entity should have a contingency plan for how it will manage potential major funding shortfalls that could threaten the entity’s continuity (e.g. unexpected withdrawal of funds by the primary funding source)

Standards and Criteria for Approval of Continuation of entity (5-year review)

·         Entities will be reviewed every 5-years for adherence to MSU policy, the guidelines described herein, and the review criteria outlined in its initiating proposal. This review process will follow procedures established in the University’s Operating Policy on entity Review.

V. Old Business

a.       Course Proposals and Program Updates

Courses and Programs Approved in FS Steering (or held)                      

§  GH 353: The U.S.-Mexican Border: History, Politics and Culture

§  Program Update – Math-PhD

Carried Over:

§  ECIV 334: Heavy Civil Construction Planning and Estimating

§  ITS 272: Cyber Defense

§  ITS 274: Ethical Hacking and Network Defense

Course Changes

§  GEO 305: Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology

§  GRMN 303: German Through Cinema

§  NUTR 430: Food Processing

Program Changes:

§  BLEN-BS: BS in Biological Engineering

§  EGIS-BS: BS in Earth Science-GIS/Planning Option

§  ESGL-BS: BS in Earth Science-Geology Option

§  ESGL-BS: BS in Earth Science-Paleontology Option    

Graduate Courses

§  BIOH 535: Principles of Neuroscience

§  BIOH 545: Current Neuroscience

b.       CSAC Nominees:

Kevin Amende- Moved forward by consent

Julia Haggerty- Withdrew Consideration

Announcements

·         Medical Excuses Policy Update – October 30th

·         Board of Regents Meeting – Bozeman, November 21st and 22nd

Public Comment

Adjournment

                                Reminder: Next Faculty Senate Meeting

                                                                October 30, 2019

                                                                3:10-4:30 PM

                                                                ABB 138

A downloadable PDF of this information can be found here.